Fall/Winter Squash Bisque with Chestnut Mushrooms
An excellent sweet and savory dish that will warm you up in these cooler months
Jeff Mertz
12/18/20231 min read
Ingredients:
2 lbs unprocessed fall/winter squash of choice (butternut, hubbard, delicate, acorn, pumpkin, etc.)
1/2 lbs chestnut mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 1/2 pints veg stock
1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
1 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Salt & blk pepper
Garnish with green onion, microgreens, and walnuts
Optional addition:
Parmesan cheese on top
Sourdough bread lightly toasted
Directions:
Peel, core, and chop squashes into one inch pieces. Fill a large pot with water, salt HEAVILY, and add the squash to the water. They should cook in 20-25 minutes. Check for softness using a fork
While the water is boiling, dice the onion and roughly chop the garlic. Heat a dutch oven in medium low, add butter and saute the onions til they yellow, stirring regularly. This will take about 10 minutes, add the garlic when the onion is looking close.
Meanwhile chop the chestnut mushrooms. Cut the stems into ½ inch pieces and cut the caps in halves or quarters.
Remove the onions and garlic to a food processor until the squash is done. Turn the heat up to medium high and add butter enough to coat the base. Add the mushrooms and cook until they have released their liquid and become soft. (The texture of the stem should be that of biting a perfectly cooked piece of lobster). Transfer to a small bowl and remove the Dutch oven from heat.
Drain the fully cooked squash into a colander. Add the squash, 1 pint (½ quart) veg stock to the food processor with onions and garlic. Spin until the consistency is smooth.
Pour the mixture into the Dutch oven and put on the stove on low heat. Slowly pour in the rest of the veg stock, constantly stirring. Then add the mushrooms and stir in, add the spices and salt to taste and stir in. Slowly incorporate the milk/heavy cream.
Taste test from here to your liking, add more salt or pepper, be careful with the allspice and cinnamon! These are strong flavors that can’t be undone.
50 Minute Cook Time - Serves 4